Sunday, August 25, 2024–1:00 p.m.
-News Release-
Be a hero by choosing not to drive after drinking because Georgia law enforcement officers are taking all drunk and drugged drivers they find on the road to jail. Those who choose to pass the keys to a sober designated driver or arrange a ride with a cab or ride-share are saving lives by making the right decision not to risk their lives and the lives of others by operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, drugs or both substances.
The warning comes before the start of the 33rd annual “Hands Across the Border” drunk and drugged driving prevention and enforcement campaign that starts Monday. State troopers and local law enforcement officers in Georgia will partner with their peers in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Tennessee to conduct sobriety road checks on both sides of their respective state lines. The week-long enforcement campaign takes place prior to the extended Labor Day holiday weekend where many people across the southeast are expected to be on the road for one last summer trip, college football game, or other destinations.
Whether traveling across the state or around the corner, Georgia law enforcement officers are issuing their only warning to not drive under the influence of any impairing substances because state troopers and local law enforcement officers arrest all suspected drunk drivers they find on the road. It is against Georgia law to operate a motor vehicle with a Blood-Alcohol Concentration (BAC) level of .08 or higher.
“Drunk and drugged driving ruins too many lives and can be eliminated if everyone makes the right choice to never drink and drive,” Allen Poole, Director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “When alcohol is part of the plan, then plan ahead for a ride with a sober, designated driver, cab, or rideshare and let family and friends know they can call you anytime they need a ride.”
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 40 percent of the people killed in crashes during the Labor Day Holiday weekend in Georgia from 2018 to 2022 involved one driver whose BAC was .08 or higher and 60 percent of the drunk driving deaths during the Labor Day Holiday weekend during this five-year period involved a driver whose BAC was twice the legal limit.
According to crash reports, 26 people died in crashes in Georgia during the 78-hour Labor Day Holiday weekend in 2023, the deadliest Labor Day holiday weekend in the state in the last 15 years.
“Law enforcement officers in Georgia and our neighboring states are united in our mission to eliminate drunk and drugged driving deaths by convincing everyone to avoid a DUI arrest by simply making the smart decision to pass the keys to a sober driver,” Roger Hayes, Director of GOHS Law Enforcement Services said. “The goal of “Hands Across the Border” is not to arrest anyone for DUI because that means everyone is heeding our warning because there will be no warnings or calls to a friend for those who are stopped for driving over the legal BAC limit. The next destination for those DUI drivers is the local jail.”
“Hands Across the Border” began prior to the 1991 Labor Day Holiday as a friendly wager between state troopers in southeast Georgia and northeast Florida to see which agency could reduce the number of drunk driving deaths in their respective states. State troopers from both states gathered at the Georgia Interstate 95 Welcome Center in Kingsland for a ceremonial handshake to kick off the campaign that is also designed to remind motorists they are the first line of defense in drunk driving by choosing to not get behind the wheel after drinking.
Within ten years, “Hands Across the Border” quickly grew into a week-long education and enforcement mobilization involving all of the states neighboring Georgia. There will be two groups conducting sobriety road checks in Georgia near the state line while law enforcement officers from the neighboring states will be conducting sobriety road checks in their state.
The North group will start Monday in Bremen with Alabama, Tuesday with Tennessee at the state line near Chatsworth and South Carolina in Hartwell on Wednesday.
The South group will start in Columbus Monday with Alabama, Valdosta with Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Georgia I-95 Welcome Center in Kingsland.
The final day has both north and south groups meeting with South Carolina in Savannah.
The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and NHTSA offer the following highway safety tips for those traveling during the Labor Day holiday weekend:
- ·Allow extra time for your trip with more vehicles on the road
- ·Always wear a seat belt and make sure all passengers are properly restrained
- ·Designate a passenger to use the phone for navigation and program your destination into your device before getting on the road
- ·Plan ahead for a sober ride when alcohol is going to be part of the plans
- ·Let family and friends know they can contact you for a sober ride
AAA-The Auto Club will be offering free tows and a ride only for the driver of a vehicle for up to ten miles from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 1st through 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 5th. AAA-The Auto Club reminds everyone their Tow-to-Go service does not make appointments and is designed as a safety net for those drivers who did not plan ahead for a sober ride.